10 GUARANTEED WAYS TO SIMPLIFY BACK TO SCHOOL

Have you seen that Staples back-to-school commercial? It has parents dancing through the Staples aisles singing “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” as they prepare to send their kids off to school. I’m sooo not that mom. I like having my kids home and always feel like the summer break went by way too fast.

On the other hand, I do enjoy the fresh start of back to school and getting back to more normal routines. Nevertheless, it can still be somewhat stressful making the transition back to school.

However, over the years (I actually have two seniors this year, college and high school my back-to-school days are ending far too quickly for my heart to handle) I’ve come up with several ways to simplify the whole process. So if you’re looking for a way to simplify back to school, read on!

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1. Simplify Back to School by Easing Into Normal Routines

I’ve always let my kids stay up later during the summer. I love having extra time to hang out with them and late-night walks to the ice cream shop. However, this does require transitioning back into a regular bedtime so they’re ready for that wake-up once school starts.

To simplify the transition, we move up bedtime by only five to 10 minutes each night.  I usually start this a few weeks before school starts. I also wake them up a little earlier each day.

When you create a consistent bedtime routine, where kids do the exact same thing every night before bed. By the first day of school, they’ve eased back into their normal bedtime routine.

2. Consider a Capsule Wardrobe

I’ve got one child that is always up on time.  This child gets ready with the need for very little prompting. However, I have another child that I’ve got to start waking up an hour before they need to be up or it’s just not happening. This kid seriously struggles to get up in the morning.

If you have a child like this you need to make getting dressed in the morning as simple as possible. Having a capsule wardrobe is a fantastic solution for this type of child.

If you’re not familiar with a capsule wardrobe, you can read more about it here, but essentially it’s a wardrobe of basic versatile pieces that all mix and match and go together to make numerous outfits. A capsule wardrobe makes it super easy for them to pick out their clothes because everything goes together.

Another way to simplify back to school morning madness of getting dressed on time is to lay out all clothes the night before. I personally do this for myself, it’s so helpful not to be hunting for things to wear or accessories to match.

3. Set a Budget for Back To School Supplies

Back to school supplies can get expensive especially when you include school clothes or new shoes. To simplify back to school shopping be sure to have a set budget.  Let your kids know ahead of time how much money they have for clothing, shoes, and supplies.

If you have a child that insists on that $50 backpack they will know ahead of time it means forfeiting the trendy shoes they had on their list or that extra pair of jeans they wanted. This is a wonderful opportunity to help them allocate money.  It’s also a great opportunity to show them how shopping wisely can leave room for some fun items.

By having a set budget ahead of time you eliminate the stress of overspending and your kids’ will know exactly what they have to spend.

4. Buy School Supplies Online

Buying clothes or shoes online for growing kids can be hard because they don’t have the ability to try them on. However, when it comes to school supplies I am all about shopping online.

But before shopping, make sure to check what supplies you still have left from last year. You don’t want to be shopping for things you already own.

Once you know what you need it’s so much simpler to order it all online than running out to the stores.

In fact, shopping online may be one of the best things I’ve done to simplify back to school.  Amazon literally has everything your child could possibly need for school. Amazon carries school backpacks or bags; school binders; notebooks; pens, pencils, and erasers. If they need it for school, you can feel confident Amazon will have it.

Have your kids make out a list and have some fun searching on Amazon for the supplies they need. An added benefit is that they are less likely to see things that were not on the original list and try and convince you how necessary the unnecessary item is.

With Amazon Prime, you’ll receive free shipping and have an entire box of school supplies delivered to your door within two days guaranteed. You’ll also save a fortune in time and gas by avoiding running all over town shopping for school supplies. What’s not to love about that!!

5. Create a Back-up Bin

You may find that your kids are consistently running out of certain items. I like to keep a storage bin just for school supplies. This way the items are always on hand when your child runs out.  Of course, the best part is that you avoid last-minute rushes to the store.

One of the things I always try to keep a backup supply of is printer ink and paper. There’s nothing more stressful than running out of ink the night before a big paper or project is due.

It also helps to have an extra set at home for those times the kids forget to bring home any supplies they might need for projects.

6. A Place For Everything

Without a doubt, one of the most stressful parts of back to school is all the papers coming at you.

Honestly, I find paper to be evil. And this time of year it’s literally everywhere you turn. The backpacks are filled with things to be signed. There’s classroom rules, flyers, homework. It’s enough to make any person more than a little crazy.

The key to maintaining your sanity while being attacked by piles of new papers is creating designated spots for all these paper gremlins to live.  Otherwise, they very well may take over the floor, the kitchen table, the bedrooms, and pretty much the entire house.

Simplify back to school now by thinking about a place you can designate for all those papers. If necessary, it is well worth the investment to purchase a special paper tray or paper organizer that’s just for school papers.

In addition to paper, our kids have quite a few other items they bring home every day.

Backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, gym clothes. They all need to have their own homes. My favorite way to keep backpacks off the floor and out of the way was to attach a few coat hooks to the inside of the hall closet. All backpacks get hung on those hooks. This way we are never searching for misplaced backpacks and they are out of the way.

7. First Things First

Here’s an absolute truth in my house. If one of my kids drop their backpack or any other item, by the door when they come in from school, it will stay there until I put it away or they need it the next day.

To simplify back to school messes, the first thing that should be done when the kids arrive home from school is to empty their folders and their lunch boxes. Papers are placed in their appropriate bin or discarded if not needed. Lunchboxes and water bottles go straight to the sink. Backpacks are then hung up on the coat hooks in the hall closet.

Let me tell you, this simple habit, which takes only a minute or two, stops messes from taking over on a daily basis. If you make it a habit to put things in their place from the beginning you will simplify so much of the back to school chaos.

8. Simplify Mealtime

As much as I would love to have my act together enough to send everyone off for their day after a big healthy breakfast, the reality is it’s never happened. Instead, breakfast is all about quick and easy so we can get out the door.

To solve this problem I have a list of healthy breakfast ideas that can be made ahead of time or within a couple of minutes.  These can be eaten on the go and involve very little cleanup.

If your kids are a little older they can make their own lunches. To make this simple for them, on grocery shopping days try to wash and cut all fruits and veggies for the week. You can place them in individual-sized containers that they can easily grab.

I know these OXO boxes keep produce fresh for the week. But I’ve also heard great things about stasher bags keeping things fresh. They are on my list to purchase.  The reason I want to get a few of the stasher bags is that they come in sizes that are perfect for grab and go items.

When it comes to dinner time, meal planning is essential to keeping things simple.

As soon as school starts so do the sports and after-school activities. Dinner can get complicated pretty quickly. Suddenly the drive-thru sounds like a good option.

Meal planning helps simplify dinner. I keep weeknight meals simple. Each Sunday I write out a list of meals for the week based on the calendar. You can see how I meal plan here.

If meal planning is not your thing, consider a planning service like $5Meals. You will more than save the $5 costs by avoiding trips to the drive-thru. There are many meal planning options you can choose from, no matter your dietary restrictions. This makes it well worth the cost.  Get more information about $5Meals here.

9. Spend 15 Minutes Prepping The Night Before

Let’s be real here, once the kids are finally in bed, the only thing I really want to do is plop on the couch with a mindless activity. And the truth is if I do this I’m not getting back up. My evening is done.

So instead, in order to simplify back to school days and be able to really relax guilt-free, I force myself to spend 15 minutes doing a quick tidy up and prep for the next day.

I make sure my clothes are laid out, and everything we need for the next school day is ready to go. It’ really doesn’t take long. I’m able to fully relax afterward and I also appreciate the extra time it saves me the next day.

10. Don’t Over Schedule

The older your kids get the more opportunities there are for busyness.  And believe me, they will make every effort to convince you why they NEED to be involved in this activity.

Simplify back to school busy nights by keeping an eye on your family’s core values. For us, it’s always been important to spend time together as a family and to make attending church a priority.

Most sports seasons last about 3 months. Each child was allowed to pick only two sports so that we had at least one sport season we were not involved in.

In addition, we did our best to avoid having practices or games on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings so that church could be a priority. Now we were not legalistic about this, things do come up, but overall we were faithful to keep those core values.

These tips may not seem like much, but they do simplify back to school time.  Most importantly they’ve helped us have more time for what really matters.